Ben Lomond Loop

I decided to do something a bit different for last Saturday mornings run.  Since many of us ride CycloCross (CX) bikes during the winter I quite fancied making the most of their off road capabilities by doing a loop taking in some of the great forest trails nearby.  The route I had in mind took in the Trossachs Forest Drive by Loch Venachar and the Dukes, followed by a run up through the Queen Elizabeth Forest Park from Aberfoyle over to Loch Lomond.  At Loch Lomond side the route was south to Rowardennan, Balmaha and Drymen then home.

Richard and Eddie joined me for this winter epic.  Not the best day for it - howling westerly with horrible sleet showers.  I've ridden some of the tracks before but after all the mega rain in the last week we were a bit unsure how ridable it would be.  With a lot of the off road sections being well used for forestry work they can get quite broken up by logging trucks and in pretty bad shape.  We were all on CX bikes with 35mm CX tyres fitted.  These have a shallow tread, like an MTB tyre but are not as knobbly or as wide.  I find these are pretty good on the road as long as you dont try to go too fast, and off road they give great grip.

Eddie and Richard with snow capped Ben Lomond in background

Callander to Aberfoyle
The first section on tarmac up the Deanston Road we do all the time, but after Callander its onto the gravel and almost single track along the side of Loch Venachar.  We all had big grins on our faces after this: blasting round gravel bends and over wee jumps.  The climb up to the Dukes Pass from Loch Venachar was much slower on the soft gravel track than the usual route up, but it was good to do something different and the descent down into Aberfoyle was an absolute blast - it felt like driving a rally car, beasting round corners, ripping over the rough gravel surface.

Milton to Cailness
After Aberfoyle road and the short tarmac section up to Milton we crossed over to the Queen Elizabeth forest park, and back onto more gravel trails.  This gradually climbs up toward Ben Lomond.  The Ben appeared up in front of us from out among the trees and initially it was quite some distance away, with the top capped in snow.  Fortunately I'd plotted the trail into my Garmin, as there are a lot of criss crossing junctions in the forest and way finding can be tricky.  Having ridden round the forest before I'd often found myself having to stop and check the map to try and work out which way to go, but with the course plotted in the Garmin it was dead easy - just a case of following the line on the screen on my bars!

From Milton up into the Comer estate the trail surface through the forest is actually really good, much firmer than the climb up the Dukes, so we made pretty good progress.  It did gradually become more full of potholes and rough in places.  Almost at the top of the main estate road you pass a small cottage and there is a turn off the main estate path, through a gate and up a very steep, much smaller side track.  The gradient was getting on for about the limit of what we could ride up on the CX bikes due to the slippery wet surface, and gearing available.  After a while it slacked off a bit and it was just another few miles grind up a lumpy but ridable landrover track to the top of Gleann Gaoithe.  By the time we got here it was absolutely pissing down and blowing a gale and seriously cold, so we were pretty glad to see Loch Lomond appear almost directly beneath us.

The descent to Cailness was not really my idea of fun.  When you come over the top of the hill you start at about 350m and Loch Lomond is at about 10m and feels like its directly beneath you.  The track is about 25% gradient, rocky, broken, and was like a river in places.  Theres several switch backs, but the gradient is unrelenting.  Even going down it was tiring, especially on arms and shoulders.  I lost it in a rut at one point and took a header into the mud which wasn't very pleasant.  There was a 4x4 parked at the house at the bottom, but I found it hard to believe you could even drive down the track!  Riding up would maybe be doable on an MTB, but certainly not on a CX bike.

Mechanicals
Half way down the descent I discovered one of the crank arms on my chainset was coming loose.  I fitted a new chainset a few months back after the west coast tour and presumably didnt get it quite right.  The crank arm on the non drive side clamps onto  a post which comes out of the drive side crank, and the bolts clamping the arm on must have worked loose over time.  The arm with pedal attached was now wobbling about.  Richard had a multi tool, so I attempted to tighten the crank arm back on, but a mile or so further on it had worked its way loose again.  After Cailness we joined the West Highland Way and headed south toward Rowerdennan.  The surface is pretty rough along here too, and it was Eddies turn to have a mechanical next.  His chain jammed in the rear mech, and this caused the mech and hanger to be ripped off the back of the bike.  He managed to do a not bad fix up job, shortening the chain to run the bike as a single speed.  Fortunately from Rowedennan back to Stirling there arent any really significant hills, so this was ok to get him home

Unfortunately my crank arm kept on working loose and after a while it started falling off altogether.  After a several attempts at reattaching it I decided it the problem was terminal and it was going to prevent me managing to complete the full circuit.  Fortunately Laura was home and after a phone call she was able to come and get me about and hour later from near Drymen.  Eddie and Richard carried on back to Stirling along the A811, while I pedalled slowly, one legged back to Blamaha and as far toward Drymen as I could.

Broken TCX

The original plan had been to ride the route in the opposite direction, however on the morning we decided to reverse it due to the gale force westerly and the idea that riding westward through the woods would be better than plugging along the A811.  I think going round clockwise would be preferable if the weather was different as the trails are more rideable going the other way, and I'd rather push my bike up the climb from Cailness than ride down it again!  This route would be brilliant in the summer when the trails are drier and harder, and I think you could probably do the loop in about 5 hours if you went at it hard.  Having looked about theres quite a lot of other similar loops that can be made by joining up sections of gravel road.  The only potential problem with wanting to do more of this type of route is the potential maintenance cost fixing all the broken kit!

Am I a cyclo-holic?

I've got members of my family and friends who I'd say are work-o-holics.  Mates who have put on 4stone since we finished Uni together, and spend their time flying round the world for their jobs.  I think maybe it used to be trendy.  They obviously enjoy what they do at work, which must be nice.  I guess I sometimes enjoy work too, sometimes its interesting and stimulating.  But mainly I go to work to earn money to pay for the other more interesting things in life, like family and cycling.

I find if I cant get out on my bike I'm a grumpy bastard.  I need at least an hour a day normally.  I call it training or commuting.  In reality I could easily get the bus to work.  And I dont need to train that hard in November - what am I training for?  Theres months till the start of the race season, and I've been looking forward to the end of the 2011 race season for ages.  Yet if I cant get out on my bike at some point during the day then there's something missing.

I was turning this over in my mind during the day today while riding my bike.  I think there are several reasons behind why I spend so much time in the saddle, and why I'm so addicted.  Partly I actually really enjoy it, the outdoors, the weather in my face, the wind, spray, sun, the exercise.  Oddly its very relaxing as well.  Even when working hard my mind clears, worries and irritations seem less important, or in better perspective and easier to ignore.  My mind can wonder for hours, thinking about the most ridiculous rubbish.  And when I get home I'm not tired, instead I feel refreshed and invigorated - my woes generally stay where I've put them, out of the way.

I like to know I've been out and put my miles in.  When I get home I know I can relax, because I've done the hard work.  Theres not many people in Scotland who train harder than I do, and that thought lets me feel content.  I hate the idea that there are people out there training harder than me.  When I'm on my bike I feel special, and its a good feeling.

I know a lot of people who ride bikes. A lot of people who ride bikes an awful lot.  Guys like me, who are probably letting it take over their lives a bit.  Training sessions that eat into the time when they should probably be at home with their families, or maybe at work.  Spending evenings surfing the net for the latest 'must have' cycling accessory.  Chatting about nothing but cycling.  Going on cycling holidays.  Watching bike racing on Eurosport.  Reading and writing cycling related crap on internet forums.  It becomes a bit of a lifestyle rather than a mode of transport.

How do I justify it to myself?  I tell myself it keeps me fit healthy, strong.  It keeps me sane, and able to deal with the shit that life throws at me.  It makes me happy.... but does it.... or does it just make me angry when I cant have it?!  Whatever the answer, I've no intention of stopping any time soon.  Am I a cycloholic?  There are a lot of worse things I could be addicted to I suppose.

End of the Race Season

I haven't written a blog for a long time. Things have been super busy at home with Laura being ill, work, Oli starting school and the arrival of Sophie our new baby daughter, so I haven't really had the time. I've still managed to fit in a bit of racing though. The first half of the season I guess I focused mainly on road racing as most of the best races are held in April May and June. Scottish road racing seems to take a break in July, and then August, September and October don't have much to offer in the way of serious road races. There are however plenty of time trials on, so in the second half of the season for the last 2 years I've done mainly TT after July.

This season its worked out that my TTing has been more successful than RRing and I've had several good results in the last couple of months including a few wins (pic shows win at the Dooleys Memorial 25) and second places in the Tour of the Trossachs and Tour of the Campsies TT. These are pretty special races in the Scottish calendar with a long history and challenging hilly courses. The Trossachs is a pretty big event and the competition was tough so I am pretty pleased with my result as I was only 11seconds away from winning.
As well as this I think I've managed to win the Scottish Middle distance BAR competition albeit by a very narrow margin. The BAR - best all rounder - is a season long competition where you take the best times at fixed distances and the rider with the speed for these events wins. The Middle distance comp covers the 25, 50, and 100 mile events. I managed to put together an average of just under 27mph for these there events which is hopefully just enough to take the win which I'm really Jean to get!

The only event left to race is the Scottish hill climb in a couple of weeks time. I think I'm in pretty good shape for that event as I'm climbing well at the moment, despite having put on a bit of weight over the season. In some ways it'll be nice to be finished racing for the year and be able to do some more relaxed sociable riding but it also always seems a shame when the racing stops and it doesn't take long before everyone starts thinking about how good next season will be and the reliability trials at the start of the year!
Robin Wilkins

The season so far

Quite a while since my last blog and lots been happening, some good, some not so good.  There been a lot of racing going on, and a lot going on at the races!

After the Scottish Road Race I rode a very wet and windy 25mile TT in Ayrshire on the Wednesday night, setting a pretty quick time (55.19) and beating a few good riders pretty convincingly.  The following weekend there was the National 10mile TT up at Laurencekirk.  I wasn't expecting a podium finish, but was hoping to at least manage a top 10.  Being an early starter on the day I didnt think my time of 21.02 was going to be good enough, since the ceeded riders all start at the end of the sequence, however my time held up, and I finished in the bronze medal spot, only 3 seconds behind Evan Oliphant.  Things were looking pretty good, especially following the dissappointment from the champs. I've developed a bit of a mentality where I always want to do better.  In some ways this is a good thing as it pushes me to work harder, but in other ways its a curse as I'm rarely satisfied with my performance.  3rd place at the 10 was a great ride, but it was a shame not to get under 21 minutes and miss 2nd place by 3 seconds.

The same weekend as the 10 there was the Dundee Stage Race (which I won a couple of years ago but am now unable to ride).  This years race will unfortunately be remembered not so much for the racing, but for the stage that had to be abandoned on the Saturday.  An unfortunate fall out between the host club, and a well know local rider lead to the police attending the race, and taking a dim view on some of the riders behaviour on a section of main road where there was a strong cross wind.  The subsequent aftermath will no doubt have an effect on road races in Scotland for some time to come, as Commisairres look to stamp authority on races and cut out dangerous riding.  At the Davie Bell RR the following weekend the race was stopped in the early stages and we were all warned about crossing the white line.  At the Eastern Promise RR last week the winner and runner up were DQed.  There has also been much debate and controversy this year about the requirement for motorcycle outriders (NEG), since they provide a great tool for policing the bunch and making the race safer.

My view is that it should be possible to hold road races without NEG, although I agree that they are definitely good to have.  I dont like hearing about races being cancelled because NEG are not available.  With regard to dangerous riding I agree that commisairres should sometimes be stronger in pulling riders out of races if they break the rules or endanger others.  Waiting till the race has finished to DQ is not ideal, but without NEG I can see how it would be hard to remove individual riders.  Assuming the offence isn't severe it might be appropriate to follow the example set in continental races and demote the riders finish position - for example to the back of whatever group they finished in.

The Davie Bell was an exciting race on paper - the first Scottish road race to go 'off road', the race featured 2 sections of gravel forestry commission road - about 12 miles in total, out of a 70 mile race.  Exciting from a spectators point of view and I know a few riders were really pumped up for it.  Out of the 80 entrants only just over 60 actually turned up to sign on though which was a bit disappointing, but I don't know if anything should be read from that.  What I found a shame was that of the 60 odd starters there were only a little over 30 finishers, and I was one of them.  I punctured along with many other people on the gravel section.  I was in the lead group at the time, but my tyre gradually went down and it wasnt safe to continue.  Since so many other riders had punctured the service vehicle was nowhere to be seen, and by the time I'd got a spare I was 20minutes down - no point in continuing really.  The service guys did the best they could, but as an amateur race there just wasnt the equipment available that there is at a race like Paris-Robaix.  The race therefore became something of a lottery - will you puncture or wont you?  Puncture and its all over and thats a shame.  What would improve that race would be proper service points along the gravel section or supplying the NEG riders with wheels.

Coming away from the Davie Bell I was once again feeling pretty dissappointed - 2 road race in a row with results I wasnt happy with.  Time trailing was going well though and there was the national 25 coming up, where I was hoping for a good result.  The 25 was yesterday however, and it didnt go as well as I'd hoped.  I rode a reasonable time - 55.02, but it was only fast enough for 13th place on the day.  I dont feel like it was a particularly bad day or paced it wrong.  I had expected to go faster, but when it came to it that was the time I rode.  I was a bit surprised and dissappointed to be beaten by so many riders that I've gone faster than recently, but cant explain that - they just rode faster than I did.  I suppose thats the beauty of time trialing - if you ride faster and stronger than the competition you'll get a result, where as in a road race you can be strongest there but still not win.

Looking ahead to the rest of the season the focus is mainly on TT from now on, but I'm even feeling a bit flat about that at the moment.  Every Sunday for months now I've been racing.  I've already done a seasons worth of racing.  July will provide a good break and maybe I'll have new enthusiasm in August.....  The season so far has been a total mixture of highs and lows.  Podium finishes in several big races interspersed with races plagued by punctures and dissappointing results.  Road racing highlights have been the 2nd place at the Dick Londragon, 3rd at Rosneth and 54th at the Tour DoonHame - seems like a long time ago!  Time Trial highlight has to be 3rd at the 10, but also my ride at the Couriers 25 showed what I can do.  Maybe theres more to come on the TT bike....

Scottish Road Race Championships 2011

The Scottish Road Race champs were held on Sunday over 12 laps of an 11km circuit at Balfron.  Fortunately although the weather was pretty poor for the womens race in the morning, by the afternoon the sun had come out and although it was very windy we had some good conditions for the race.  The race had a full field of 80 riders with most of the best Scottish riders taking part (the exception being James McCallum who was racing elsewhere).  Our Velo Ecosse team had a decent number of riders taking part again, with the usual guys - me, Eddie, Phil, Lewis and Tom.  I was also surprised and pleased to see Fin return after his crash at Tour Doon Hame.  Stirling Bike Club were well represented as well which was good, with Richard, Eddie and Mark all lined up.

We had a chat pre-race about tactics and the view was that judging by the circuit, and how recent races had played out, that the early break away attempts would most likely get chased down and it would take some time for a break to form.  We judged that the guys to watch were Evan Oliphant, Robbie Hassan and Michael Nicholson - we figured these guys were the key riders and the break would form with them.  The plan was to conserve as much as possible for the first 50 miles (6-8 laps) before doing anything aggressive.  I was pretty happy with these tactics, as I agreed that the early breaks were unlikely to stick, and following the Sam Robinson the previous weekend (when my legs died toward the end) it made sense to be conservative.

The race started with a climb to Boquhan followed by a fast rolling section toward Fintry.  I was just following wheels in the bunch, making no effort to attack, and letting others chase after moves.  I therefore wasn't really paying full attention when a group of 8 or so formed on the up wind section coming back toward Balfron.  The group steadily pulled away, but I wasnt fully aware exactly who was in it.  I could still see Robbie and Michael in the bunch, so I thought "when they go i'll go with them, and we can bridge across, or maybe the break will still get pulled back later anyway".  With some many riders in the bunch it took a hwile to work out that Evan was in the break, plus some strong time trialists (Arthur Doyle, Ali Robinson, Ali Thomson) and 2009 Scottish Champ Ross Creber.

The gap gradually stretched out, and I made a several attempts to get clear of the bunch and form a chase group.  Eventually after several laps trying we got a group of about 10 away, including 4 Endura (Hassan, Young, McCrossan and Cowie), Paul Coates (Via Manzini) Craig Adams (JLS Racing), Ross Crook (ERC) and Peter Murdoch (Cyclelane).  We started working together pretty well together, and made some small inroads into the breaks lead, bringing it back from 2mins to 90seconds.  It was obvious that some of the guys either didn't have the legs for it or didn't have the belief as more and more often riders were missing spells and the chain kept breaking.  The gap to the break then went beyond what we could close, quickly going out to 3 minutes.

Robbie and I were becoming increasingly frustrated with the other guys in the break and made a few attempts to get away together, but it seemed that although the other riders were unable to work to close down the leaders, they did have the legs to chase after us.  Eventually our group did break up.  I ended up with the 2 Murdochs, but by that stage it was race over and we were just hoping we might catch some riders dropped from the break.  I wasn't especially happy riding with 2 big riders from the same team, but I felt pretty good and at least capable of staying with them to sprint it out at the finish.

Up front Evan had dropped his break away companions with a 2 laps to go apparently, and rode to a solo victory.  Very impressive!  Gary Hand took 2nd and Ross Creber 3rd.  We eventually caught Ali McNicol who'd been dropped from the break, but managed to sit in behind us.  The final sprint up Balfron High Street was pretty cool, lined with crowds.  I was expecting it to be tougher and had selected the wrong gear so had to change down mid sprint, which didn't help and took 3rd from our group of 4, and 11th overall. Behind us the bunch were wheeling round.  Eddie made several attempts to get away, but couldnt shake off the pack.  He put up a good sprint though and got 18th.

I was pretty disappointed with how it worked out as I felt strong enough to beat a lot of the gus in the top 10, however I wasn't paying enough attention and strayed away from my usual tactics of attacking early.  Leason learned hopfully.

Passo dello Stelvio

Bormio, and the Mountains above the Stelvio

With the Giro d'Italia heading into the Dolomites and Alps this weekend I thought I'd look back at one of my favourite days cycling from 2010, when I spent a morning riding over the Stelvio Pass in the Italian Alps.  OK, so the Giro isn't going over the Stelvio this year, but the Stelvio is one of the most famous, and highest passes in Italy, and I've not ridden over the ones they're going over this year!  We were on holiday in Italy in July last year and rented a motorhome from Milan airport for 10 days to tour round the Italian Lakes.   The Italian town of Bormio is at the foot of the Stelvio on the western side and sits at the top of the Sondrio valley, about 2hours drive from the northern end of Lake Como.  So after a few days visiting Lake Maggiore, Lake Luggano and Lake Como, we worked our way up to Bormio for a couple of nights.

Bormio is clearly a regular feature of the Giro and is a pretty wee town.  I think the 2010 Giro had actually passed through the town a couple of months earlier on route to the Gavia Pass which is also near by. Having planned ahead I obviously had my bike with me and had done some web based research into potential riding for the holiday!  I found a great article on the Pez web site in which the riders completed the climb to the Stelvio twice in one day, from either side with a short hop over into neighbouring Switzerland, and decided this looked like an excellent route and the one I would follow too.

Preparation!

Being on holiday with the family means buggering off cycling all day doesn't make you particularly popular, so there was some compromising to be done....  In order to complete the circuit I estimated I would need a maximum of 6 hours.  Its approximately 60miles and I couldn't be sure what kind of average speed I might hope to achieve over such unfamiliar terrain!  To keep Laura happy I promised I'd be home by 12noon.  So a 6am departure was required!  This wasn't really a problem apart from the temperature at that time in the morning was bloody cold.  It meant I had the roads virtually to myself for the first ascent.

The hairpins are numbered on each side starting at 40 I think in Bormio and 49 on the eastern side.  Setting off I thought the numbering must be for the whole thing, i.e. 20 on one side and 20 on the other.... but no, its something like 25km and 40 hairpins from Bormio to the pass, at 2760m.  Having read the description on Pez
it mentions a waterfall and power station approximately half way up, but when I reached this point I simply could not believe I still was only half way there.  Then I passed a marking on the road - 15%, 10K... you're bloody joking.... The power station is at the top of a long valley and you can see it from a long way off.  As you approach it looks as though it must be the top of the climb, as its basically a wall with the road snaking back and forth across it.  Then as I got to the top to my horror I realised it just lead into another valley where the road continued to climb.  And the whole time there was a freezing cold block head wind!

Switchbacks at the Power station, halfway up, on the Bormio side

Through the second valley section the road climbs past a couple of old mountain refuge and the top of the pass gradually appear in the distance.  Cars occasionally pass, and you can watch them progress up the switch backs watching where the road goes and seeing how far there is still to cover.  A few miles before the summit there is an old closed hotel where a road branches off north toward the Swiss border.  First of all I had to tackle the final few K to the summit though.  This high up there is nothing to provide shelter and the road just weaves across the mountain side.  The pass featured a few hotels, people skiing (in July!) and the usual tourist shops.  By the time I got to the top it was 8.30.  2.5 hours of solid climbing.  Better crack on I thought if I was going to meet the 12noon eta!

1st time up!

The next section I descended back the way I'd just come up to the junction with the road into Switzerland and took the turn to the north over the Swiss border.  If I was cold going up I was frozen solid descending!  The descent into Switzerland stages off pretty fast and open with exciting switchbacks, but after a few K it turns into a gravel road surface which make it even more sporting.  Fortunately this doesn't go on forever and before long its back onto asphalt.  The final section of the steep descent was actually really good fun, tight switchbacks through pine trees, before passing through a small village and joining the main road.  This then takes you whizzing on down the hill, back across the border into Italy.  Finally starting to get warm by this stage!  Theres then a few miles along the valley floor to Prato allo Stelvio before the ascent on the Eastern side begins.

Trying to remember what I'd had to eat, and I think all I'd had was a couple of croissants and some juice, so by this stage I was starting to feel peckish.  I was hoping to find a nice wee cafe serving nice coffee and good cake, but unfortunately I couldnt find anywhere and ended up riding up the pass praying I'd come across something before I properly got the knock.  Fortunately there was a wee hotel a couple of K up the climb where I got good coffee and more croissants to fuel me a bit further.  Must have been about 9.30 by this stage, and other cyclists were starting to appear on the road.  As I climbed I starting coming across what seemed to be some kind of rolling road closure, but since I was on a bike the police let me ride through.  After a while they'd let the traffic go and I'd have literally hundreds of motor cycles roaring up the switchback after me.  I gradually worked out that there was some kind of sportive cycle event on and the police were closing the road for the cyclists, as I started picking off slower riders as I climbed.

The switchbacks on the east side of the pass are never ending, 49 of them each nicely numbered to let you know how many are left.  There obviously not all the same distance apart though which I found slightly annoying (being slightly OCD) as I couldnt set a target for ticking off switchbacks!  The final 5K you can clearly see the summit, and its not far away.... but the road goes back and forth so much it takes a long time.  I was very pleased when I reached the summit again to discover the sportivos had a big feed station near the summit, and since I was on a bike they didnt seem to mind me helping myself to a healthy amount of food!

My own personal road closure?

So finally the descent!  Mid-morning by this stage the traffic was much heavier both bicycles and motorcycles and cars, trucks, motor homes etc.  I  found another cyclist who seemed to have a fairly large pair of cojones and made it my mission to try and stay with him on the descent!  i was doing pretty well till I go to the tunnels. These are terrifying - 200+meters long, terrible road surface inside, and one has a bend in it, so you literally cannot see a thing.  Plus coming down in bright sunshine in sunglasses at 40mph into total darkness isn't my bag!  So I lost the wheel, and just enjoyed the remains of the descent and the stunning scenery.

I timed it well and made it back to the motor home almost exactly at 12.  Surprised how slow I was I guess, but totally pumped after an amazing run on the bike.  Unfortunately there wasnt time to try the Gavia or Mortirollo Passes which are also very near Bormio.  In the afternoon we went out in Bormio for lunch and a potter about, and the next day after a ride on the cable car to the near by ski station we drovn down through Aprica (finish town for an epic 2010 Giro stage) and on to Lake Iseo for a couple of nights, before coming home.  Unfortunately most of these pics were taken on a mobile phone, so they're poor.

May Racing

Its pretty much core race season in Scotland at the moment.  Classic Scottish road races, one after the other throughout late April, May and into June.  Pretty grueling on the legs, and also requiring a fairly sympathetic family if you intend to ride every weekend.

Looking back at the races complete I'm pretty happy with most of the results I've had.  Aside from Giford where I DNF I had a good string of strong finishes in the early season races.  The Duncan McGregor RR, and Sam Robinson RR yesterday were both really tough and I felt although I rode to reasonable results I had to really battle to get there, and maybe hoped to have done slightly better.  In the Duncan McGregor RR I was unlucky to puncture, but had been working hard even before that.  The Sam Robinson RR yesterday was considerably tougher than the previous year.  The extra lap of the finishing circuit is a real killer, as it adds a lot of climbing and several more miles at a time when most folk are already near their limit.  When I rode it last year I did well, luck was on my side, and finished 2nd behind Evan.  This year I think the overall competition was perhaps stronger, the course and weather harder and I suffered toward the end to finish 6th.

Coming back from the finish at the Sam I took the opportunity to do a lap of the course that will be used for the Scottish Road Race Championships this Sunday.  The course is an 11Km circuit at Balfron which we'll complete 12 times.  Although the circuit doesnt have a big climb on it, the cummulative miles and undulations are going to make it a very hard race.  It will no doubt be super fast at the start, and with a lot of corners I expect there will be a lot of sprinting just to hang onto wheels early in the race never mind trying to get into a break.  To make it harder it seems like the two main uphill sections on the circuit will be up wind.  This will make it harder to break, as riders behind will get a drafting advantage making it easier to close on the riders infront.

The finish is particularly brutal.  There is a fast downhill, pothole covered section, before a 90degree right hand turn onto Balfron highstreet.  The finish is then about 200-300 metres up an increasingly steep hill.  By the finish I'm pretty sure the race will be in bits anyway, but that last kick to the line will be horrible.  Riding it after doing yesterdays race gave a good indication of how my legs might feel - not good!  At the last 2 races James and Ben from Rapha have been the 2 men to watch, however neither are riding on Sunday.  They'll be replaced by other strong riders though, for example Evan Oliphant (Endura) and Michael Nicholson is returning from Belgium to race.  Based on my current form I think a top 10 is achieveable, the closer to the top the better.

After that I've got the Scottish 10mile TT champs to look forward to the weekend after, and then the next Super6 in Ayrshire the weekend after that.... exhausting!

Duncan McGregor Memorial Road Race

Quick write up from yesterdays Super6 RR in Fife.  The Duncan McGregor RR is run on a hilly circuit near Leven in Fife.  I've done it twice before and always found it pretty tough going but I do like the circuit.  This year its a month later than previous seasons so I've got more race miles in my legs and was hoping for a decent finish after riding well in several of my last races.  The weather on the drive through was terrible - torrential downpoors of rain, so heavy the road disappeared at time.  In between the sun was coming out though, so a real mix of weather.


The race started in typical fashion with riders going up the road trying to form a break and these getting chased down, and everyone looking at one another to see who'll jump next.  I went in several of these and some of them seemed quite promising, but the bunch was strong and not wanting to let anything go.  Each time I came back to the bunch it was clear that it was being whittled down.  Having started at about 70-80 riders by the start of lap 2 there were maybe 40-50 left.  Eventually on the back of lap 2 a break did get up the road.  Unfortunately, despite trying to get on Ben Greenwoods wheel to bridge across to it I didn't manage and was in the bunch watching the break ride away.  They gradually pulled out a reasonable gap, but were never too far up the road.  There was some half-arsed collaboration to try and bring the break back, but it was clear the only way a group of rider would work together was if it was a small group, so there was a lot of attacking to try and get free.  Up front the break can't have been working too well as they were still in sight despite the faffing in the bunch.

The break was infact pulled back at the start of the mini circuit that you do halfway round the 3rd lap, just after the most horrific rain shower.  The mini circuit features a pretty big climb and with the race pretty much back together it seemed likely that this was where it would be decided.  Unfortunately at the foot of the climb there was a loud pop and my rear tyre immediately went flat.  I kept going till the bunch had past, and got service from the service vehicle while trying not to panic.  The car towed me back up to the rear of the convoy and I made my way back through it as fast as I could, but the bunch had split up on the climb so I had to weave through riders and then bridge across a large gap to get to the lead group.  I was just recovering and adjusting my rear brake when a group of 7 or 8 jumped of the front.  It took a while for them to get away and I burried myself to try and go with them, but my legs just werent having it and i dangled for a bit before drifting back to the remains of the bunch (only about 12 riders by this stage)

Once again there was a lot of folk sitting on and only 2 or 3 willing to try and get over to the lead group.  Realisticaly I should have sat in a bit more at this stage.  The race came round over the brow of the hill before the final desent toward the finish and there was a strong cross wind, so at this point myself and a few others managed to break clear.  We worked pretty well together, but there was no way back to the lead group.  I took 3rd in the sprint from our group of 7, so 10th overall, which considering the puncture isn't too bad.  James McCallum took another impressive win, he's going well just now, better than i've seen him ride in previous years.  I've no pictures from the race

Next races coming up are a 10TT at Cambusbarron on Wednesday night, and the Sam Robinson RR this Sunday.  The 10 will be my 1st of the year and a good practice before the Scottish 10 champs at the end of May.  I've finally got my hands of a proper TT bike so i'm looking forward to trying it out.  The Sam Robinson RR at Balfron is another local race, and one of my favourites, taking in the Dukes Pass.  I expect it'll be another hotly contested race especially as the organiser has got £200 up for 1st place.  Rather annoyingly the race has been categorised as RegionalC+ on British Cycling, which means the points are rubbish.  I don't know why the organiser would do this as its unlikely any 4th cat riders would consider racing it anyway.  I'm not chasing points this year, but it does seem a bit frustrating.

West coast tour: after thoughts

What worked and what would I do differently next time?

Next time I'd definitely think about going with someone else.  It was good going alone, setting my own pace, deciding where I wanted to go each day and when I wanted to stop etc, but it would have been nice to have someone there to experience it too and talk to.

The route was excellent.  I found 60-80mile days were pretty good, but also nice to have a 35miler in too, to have an easy day.  Using the ferries was brilliant.  Bikes go free, and they have to be one of the best bargains going - crossing cost between £4-£12 as a passenger.  A 5hour crossing from Oban to Barra costs £11!

Camping: I found it relatively easy to find places to wild camp all over the west coast.  There is very little in the way of proper camp sites on the Western Isles, so just as well its easy to wild camp.  Getting fresh reliable drinking water I found a little tricky.  Most public WC, village halls etc have an outdoor tap.  I guess you need to use your judgement on whether you trust the water coming out of the tap to be drinkable.  Doing long miles on the bike its essential to drink plenty though.  I found I needed minimum of 3.5litres for my evening meal, hot drinks and breakfast.  During the day I'd drink Lucozade, coffee and water on top of that.

The tent I took - a Wild Country Aspect 1 was one of the larger 1 man tents I saw.  I was lucky with the weather and could sit out every night to cook and organise my kit.  If it had been poor weather I think I would have wanted a larger tent, or would have been making use of some of the hostels and bunkhouses  Taking a slightly heavier, larger 2man tent (3-4kg) probably wouldn't have been a problem.

Kit:
Of the kit I took everything worked pretty well.  I didn't have any major problems, and there was very little that I took that I didn't need nor stuff I didn't take that I required.

Charging electrical gadgets: I took a Blackberry, Garmin, and an old Sony Eriksson mobile.  I took a PowerMonkey Explorer, which I had as an old Xmas present to charge them.  Its basically a fancy rechargable battery with a variety of plugs to fit different devices.  The Blackberry wouldn't charge off the PowerMonkey, but I found I could find a 3pin socket on most ferries and a 45min-1hour crossing was enough to get the BB full.  The Garmin ran for 3 or 4 days without needing a charge, and I was then able to top it up from the PowerMonkey.  I used the Sony Eriksson mobile to avoid running down the BB battery - Sony Eriksson would run for days where as the BB doesn't.  I tried charging the BB in cafes, but I didnt find that very effective!

Stuff I took that I didn't use:
Waterproofs: I only wore my waterproof jacket on the last day and didn't take the over trousers out of the pannier.  I wouldn't go without them though!
Pump: I bought a new pump especially for the trip, and didn't need it.  I used it once to check the pressure in my front tyre but had difficulty attaching it to the valve and it let the tyre down!  I got it pumped back up, but didn't attempt to use it again.  I checked the pressure each day by hand and the tyres stayed firm.  Again I wouldn't go without one.  I was perhaps lucky not to get any punctures, but I think the Conti Gatorskin tyres are excellent and stood up well to gravel roads, heavy load, bumping across fields etc.
Book: Didn't really read it! Infact I swapped the one i'd brought in a tea room on Bernaray for a different one.  Next time I'll not take one at all.  I found there was more than enough to keep me busy.  I guess if the weather had been bad and I'd been in the tent more I might have read more.
Clothing: I lost a long sleeve base layer on day 2 - took it off because I was too hot and forgot to pack it.  Didn't miss it for the rest of the trip though.  I packed 2 of these so the one I had left was enough.  I worn the same bibshorts and s/s road jersey every day.  I washed them out most days and was able to hang them out and they'd be dry for the next day.  I had spares but didnt really wear them.  I took a down jacket and a fleece gilet.  I suppose I could have left the gilet at home and just brought the jacket, but it is pretty light and nice to wear.

Stuff that was really good:
Therma-rest chair: you inflate your therma-rest and fit it into the fabric holder and it makes you a comfy chair with a back rest.  It weighs next to nothing, and I packed it in alongside my tent poles. 5star
Garmin Edge 705: Before the tour I'd not used the mapping or routing functions on this much, but got plenty use out of it last week.  The maps I downloaded free (google OpenStreetMap), and they were fit for purpose.  The routing is a bit lame, but you can get it to do the job.  I'm not sure if the routing and ETA functions are better if you purchase the expensive OS mapping software, but the free maps I got did the job.  I found it essential for keeping track of distance to destination, average speed and so on.
Trangia stove with gas adapter:  Its a bit of kit I've had for years, but it once again was outstanding as one of the best items I took with me.  I wasn't sure I'd have enough gas, but the Primus 1kg(I think?) bottle I took was plenty, doing hot breakfast and dinner, plus a hot drink at lunch for 7 days, and still not empty.  Quick to set-up and boil, just brilliant!  I took a Thermos mug with a lid and that was a great idea as the lid helps if you knock it over and it keeps your drink warm for ages.
Ortleib Roller Panniers: Do exactly what you want them to do.  Keep your kit securely attached to the bike, easy to attach and remove, spacious, waterproof.  I packed 3 of them crammed full with stuff I wouldn't need access to during the day, and the fourth I kept semi full with a camera, food, extra clothes that I'd need during rides, plus my food.  They do act like a bit of a bucket with the item you want seemingly always right at the bottom, but I got better at packing them.  It took me a while to work out to always pack the one I'd need access to on the right hand side of the bike, as I found I inevitably stopped the bike and leant it on something on the lefthand panniers, making them hard to access.  Bungee cord on the rack was handy for securing extra bits and bobs (water etc)
Giant TCX: Ran without problems or any adjustment for over 400miles.  Lots of admiring looks from other riders!  I gave it a good service before setting off, and made sure the chain was well lubed.  The wheels (my winter training wheels, handbuilt by Mark Leadbetter - Mavic CXP22 on Tiagra) were comfortable and reliable and capable of taking me riding out of the saddle with the bike fully ladden.

West coast tour: photos

I've uploaded the pictures from the trip onto picasa:

West coast tour: Day 7

Sheildaig - Oban - Home.  The One Five Oh.  I decided on Wednesday night that I had to get home on Thursday.  Things were going on at home and I had to get back.  Easier said than done though, in Sheildaig, car in Oban 140miles away.  140miles by road via Inverness, Loch Ness and Ft William, not a route I was willing to ride - punishment of the wrong variety.  The original plan had been to cover the ground back to Oban via Skye, Mallaig, Ardnamurchan and Mull (connecting with ferries).  I made the mileage going that way at about 120-130 miles (2 x 65 mile days).  So theoretically doable in one big day.  Problem was the ferry times, as to do that route I had to get 3 different ferries and cover the ground between them them fast enough to get each in turn.  To get the last ferry from Craignure at 1900 I'd have to get the 1745 ferry from Lochaline, and to get to Lochaline in time I'd need to get the 1135 boat from Armadale, some 65miles away!  I worked this all out after a couple of pints in the hotel in Sheildaig!  Basically it meant a very early start and riding reasonably fast, but I decided it was doable.

I got up when I first woke up, and it was light.  The weather had broken, the tent was blowing about quite a bit and when I looked out there was a lot of cloud about.  I had to have breakfast, as if I skipped it I'd suffer later, so to full process of cooking porridge followed by the packing up faff was all completed and I got away just before 7am.  The first section of the ride (40 miles to Loch Alsh) is particularly brutal.  It started raining after I'd climbed the first hill andkept up for the next 2 hours.  The road to Loch Alsh is extremely hilly, the bit between Strathcarron and Auchtertyre being particularly bad.  There're bits where the road climbs away from the lochside at 14% for about a mile then drops straight back down to the loch again.  I kept pressing on and got to Kyle of Lochalsh with enough time left to make it to the ferry at Armadale, but I was starting to suffer by this stage.  The thought of food in Mallaig and the problems it would cause if I missed the boat kept me going though, and I got there at about 1115.

Once in Mallaig I got the food required to fuel me for a few more miles, but by the time I'd eaten and got underway again it was after 1pm.  Using my Garmin I was able to work out fairly easily that I wasn't going to make the 1745 boat at Lochaline.  Plan B was to head to the ferry at Corran instead, and then ride from Onich all the way down the coast.  So thats what I ended up doing.  Hills and headwind all the way up past Loch Ailort, Glenfinnan and along Loch Eil.  I keep coming to a corner thinking I must get a tail wind for the next section, but it was one of those days when the wind is always in your face!

The ferry at Corran was a relief - more food and a bit of a rest (free crossing with bikes!). By Onich I'd done 115miles, and the Garmin said it was 35 to Oban.  I stopped at the service station for more juice and food, where a guy in a camper van stopped me to comment on how well I was going.  I looked at him puzzled, and he said he'd been on the Mallaig ferry with me earlier in the day!  He was more surprised and impressed(?) when I told him how far I'd gone and still had to go!

The road from Balahulish to Connel is a bit of road I quite like, the scenery is good, and fortunately for me its quite flat.  I just pushed along as best I could.  I found I became quite fixated with the GPS, checking how far I had to go, how fast I was going, what the time was etc.  After 9+ hrs in the saddle its hard to keep concentrating I suppose.  I really dont think I could do a 12hour TT.  When I got back to the car the trip meter said 148 miles...... I rode straight past the car and cruised on for another mile.  Then turned round and rode back to the car..... 150.  Would have been a shame to got so close but not ticked that box!  Don't suppose I'll be riding that far again in a hurry.  I felt OK afterward.  I've felt worse thats for sure.  A 70mile road race can be tougher.

West coast tour: Day 6

Wild fire damage on Liathach

Dundonnel - Sheildaig.  More sun, and lots of hills!  After tea of fish and chips in Ullapool, I pushed on to camp at Dundonnel to try and reduce the amount of miles I needed to do to get to Torridon.  Arriving at Dundonnel late I ended up just camping by a lay-by, enjoying the last of the evening sun and heading to the local hotel for a couple of beers.

The ride round the coast to Altbea, Poolewe, and Gairloch was very scenic and really enjoyable, but hard work with lots of climbs and fast desents.  Lunch at Gairloch was large!  I'm having to put away a huge amount of food which is nice to eat, butmeans i'm continually thinking what I'll eat next and where I'll get it from.  Also getting a mix of carbs, protein, and avoiding too much sugary crap is tricky.  Eating apples and cakey bars whilst riding topped up with Lucozade and water keeps me going, but a big lunch of rolls, cheese, spinach, oatcakes, sundried tomatoes, bananas etc is also required.  Generally I just stop at shops and top up the supply of stuff I have on the bike.

Dinner at night is also large. I've been sticking to rice or pasta with veg, meat and sauce.  Rehydrated mushrooms have been good as they're tasty, lightweight, don't go off and add good flavour and texture to the meal.  Precooked chicken works well as you can fling it in with whatever and its got the protein needed.  Frozen prawns also worked well as I can buy them at lunch time and they'll be defrosted ready to eat at tea time.  I took a supply of boil in the bag rice and some pasta with me, as well as a selection of sachet sauces, so my evening meals have been pretty healthy, filling and nutritious.  Also particularly enjoying sundryed tomatoes with cheese!  Salty tomatoes go down a treat!  Today it was 3 rolls with ham, spinach and relish, a pack of oatcakes with cheese and tomatoes, an apple, and cakey bar for lunch!  The more I eat the less weight is in the bike!!

Breakfast is pretty good, although I've been having the same thing every day and getting a wee bit sick of it tbh!  It's been porridge with dried fruit mixed through it washed down with a black coffee.  A good kick start for the day and keeps me going till mid morning when I top up with more snacks!  The sachet porridge with dried skimmed milk has worked well and its tastey and good to get something hot, but I do like cereal with yoghurt in the morning, so have been missing that.  I've also found myself yearning for bacon rolls, but not given in yet.

After lunch at Gairloch there was a nice climb over to Loch Maree then a long push along to Linlochewe where I stopped for cake and coffee.  It was proper hot by this stage, and its easy to see why the area has had a lot of wild fires recently.  It it soo dry just now, and there is so much dead wood and heather lying about.  When I got down to Torridon the scale of the wild fire on the south west side of Liathach was amazing.  It must have been an amazing sight.  From the valey floor to almost right up to the summit for several miles has been burnt  -pic above.  I didnt stop in Torridon after all, but instead pushed on to Sheildaig for the night, as I'm considering riding up the Bealach-na-Ba tomorrow morning if the weathers good.

Garmin stats:

West coast tour: Day 5

Harris to Ullapool. Once again lots of sunshine today! Can't believe what a jammy git I am! Made an early start today so it was cold and windy when I set off. Seemed a shame to be leaving such a beautiful place. I said before that Barra was a highlight in the Outer Hebrides, well for me Harris is the other highlight. Ironically these are two islands I've been to before! I'd still say my favourite is Mingalay, but Harris is special!
I'd made my way round to Tarbert by 9am hoping to get to Stornoway by 12 in order to faff round town a bit before the ferry. Luckily the wind had shifted direction and I had a great tailwind for a change making speed good. Past Tarbet there is a large hill to be negociated. It certainly seemed large pushing half a ton of gear anyway! Must be about 2miles averaging 6-7% and max about 12%. Hard going! The descent on the other side was superb though! Pic above.
After that comes the crossing of Lewis. I've been to Lewis before several years ago and wasn't particularly inspired by it. It is rich in history and has some great scenery however it is the ugly sister alongside Harris. Fortunately the tailwind kept up and I flew?! northward averaging and impressive? 15mph and reaching Stornoway shortly before 12. Time for a bit of gift shopping, coffee&cake and restocking a few provisions.
They haven't full adapted to cafe culture in Stornoway yet unfortunately. Despite it being a beautiful sunny day and there being tables set out in the sun there was noone sat at them. You had to go into the coffee shop (via the library?!) buy you're food then return outside through the library again to use the tables. A bizarre customer experience but that seemed to be what was on offer! The food was good though, I had a large slice of apple pie with cream as reward for managing 47miles before lunch.
You meet some interesting people on ferries travelling alone. Yesterday I meet a cyclist who was riding from Barra to Stornoway in one day. This is posible going north if you catch the first boat in the morning from Barra to Eriskay. Its maybe about 110miles riding. Depending on the wind direction and traffic (single track roads are a PITA!) it could be an easy run or a major ball ache. I guess if you're a roadie living in the islands your choices of route are kind of limited. Not like living in Stirling where route options are endless.
Todays interesting punters were a couple of guys who were on a trip out to St Kilda the previous day with a company called Sea Venture (I think). Lucky with the weather they were, they said it was a brilliant day. I passed a place signposted for St Kilda view point yesterday but it was 1.5miles up a hill and the weather was kind of hazy, so I have it a miss. Some day it would be cool to go though.
Another highlight of the day I've pictured above. The Coast Guard were doing some training and winched a guy down to our boat a couple of times. Hard not to get a smile on your face seeing such an impressive aircraft hovering over head!

Garmin stats:

West coast tour: Day 4

North Uist to Harris. Sunburn! My ears are toast. Not complaining though. I think I only packed factor 20 thinking there was no way I'd need anything stronger. My Oakleys have been doing 15hour shifts, and although it doesn't feel hot on the bike, the sun is strong.

I'd thought this morning i might make it over to Lochmadday for a coffee and cake before heading for the afternoon ferry to Harris, but I underestimated the distance and just came direct to Bernaray for my refreshments before getting the boat. I didn't find North Uist an awful lot more appealing this morning but at least the roads were quiet and it was less built up round the north west corner. Open moorland with the tops of dunes and the sea in the distance. Some of the scenery is spectacular but for me it isn't a patch on what Harris has to offer. Berneray was ok and the ride north was good but it was the view out into the Sound of Harris that I found appealing. Hundreds of little rocky islands with a backdrop of hills in the distance.

The passage across the Sound of Harris is the craziest rock dodge I've ever been on! The boat takes an hour, but that's mainly because its going sideways round rocks half the time! Really beautiful crossing though, skooting between the islands. A guy I was talking to said the islanders plan to build a causeway across the channel eventually, similar to those between other islands. I think that would be a great shame as its a fantastic waterway. I would dread to have to navigate it in a boat however!

Harris definitely has the whow factor and it is just as dramatic as I remember it from when Laura and I visited several years ago. Sun sparkeling on turquoise water, white beaches, green hills and blue sky, its a brilliant place. When we visited before we camped at a place called Horgbost where there is a basic campsite next to a beautiful beach that looks across toward the hills and beaches on the other side of a large bay. I got here at 4 so its been nice to spent time chillin before tea. The last few days I've been on the go till 6 or later. Today I only did 35 miles though where as yesterday was 60. Tomorrow might be tough as I've got to get to Stornoway for the ferry to Ullapool by 1330 and its 40+ miles away with some hills. I'd I cut out the faffing and photo & cake stops I should make it no bother!

The pic shows Taranasy I think, and standing stone, which seem to be pretty common round here.

Garmin stats:

West coast tour: Day 3

South Uist to middle of nowhere (North Uist). Turned out a slightly longer day than expected. The plan I made this morning was to cruise leisurely northward stopping whereever I fancied eventually ending up in an idilic camping spot somewhere on Benbecula or North Uist. I've found my idilic camping spot but it took a bit more work and a few more miles than I expected!

The day started perfectly with bright sunshine and breeze to keep the flys away. Once again I slept like a log. 9hours without a problem! Porridge again and packed up by about 9am I thought I must be getting into the swing of touring, normally I'm champing at the bit by 8am! On the way back across the dunes I stoprd to inspect some old prehistoric dwellings which acording to the board had been inhabited from 1100BC till 200AD, some 900years! I thought that was pretty nuts! 900years in a crummy wee hut!

Anyway after marvelling at the lack of ambition of Uists ancestors to develop beyond the bronze age I pedaled across to Loch Boisdale to see if I could get a coffee and a cake. Far to much to expect on a Sunday morning in these parts though! The place was a ghost town. So I headed back for the road north and a few miles along it found a visitor center with a tea room. A little bit like the shop in The League of Gentlemen! But they had cake and the gift shop did post cards and it got me out of the wind so I was very happy. I also manager to plug in me blackberry to charge so it was all good! The guy there advised that I could get provisions at the coop on Benbecula but on North uist everything would be shut on a Sunday. So I headed off north again expecting to be at benbecula by about lunch time but u must have been going slow and it was clearly further than it looked as the time got to 1.30 and I was still some way off!

Touring is a good thing though because if you want to stop you can. So I found a nice spot at the side of a wee loch and had a beautiful hour sitting in the son eating cheese and oat cakes and stuff and enjoying the view! I carried on north again after than and felt strong enough to include a detoure to visit a closed smoke house shop. I love smoked fish and the sign said 2.5 miles so I thought I'd try but it was dead when I got there.

Benbecula had the coop I was needing and it does have some nice beaches on the west coast. But I was slightly disappointed as I was expecting it to be beach lovers utopia. And its not. The bit at the north end by the airport is pretty minging. Ok there's a huge beach you can see in the distance but there's also a scabby housing scheme an ex military base. The best buy about the north end of the island is the causeway across to north uist!

And if I'm being totally honest I haven't found North Uist a whole lot more appealing. The beaches are inaccessible hidden away behind miles of farm land the roads are smooth but the drivers are wankers and overall its not a patch on the southern islands. Barra has to be the highlight so far. What happened to the rule that you always waved when someone gave way on a single track road? Does it not apply to bikes? I've decided I'll just wave like an idiot at them anyway and hopefully it'll rub off!

Anyway I had a great meal tonight of beef with black bean sauce followed by sticky toffee pud with custard washed down with a bottle of red! Maybe that's way the fighting talk is coming out! Tomorrow is a shorter day with a run up to get the 1330 ferry across to Harris. Hopefully the wind won't get up in the night as my tent is pitched at the top of the beach in the sand and will blow away pretty easily!

Todays pic is a beautiful cottage I saw on South Uist this morning :-)

Garmin stats:

West coast tour: Day 2

Vattersay to South Uist. I had a pretty good nights sleep in my new tent. I was certainly comfy and cosy in my down bag on my therma rest! The tent is small though and I'm really glad the weather has been good as I'd be short of space for cooking eating and storage if it was wet. Its sunny though so life is good!

The day started cold grey and windy however I think it was mainly because I got up early because by 10 the sun was out and it was warming up. Plan for the day was to climb Heaval, the highest point on Barra (and the southern Hebrides), then ride up to get the ferry across to Eriskay.

The climb up Heaval was dead easy and I was at the top by 11. The views south toward Mingalay and Barrahead, and north toward Eriskay and the Uists are spectacular. I always enjoy the view across Castlebay to the beaches on Vattersay particulary though and it reminds me of the first time I came here a few years ago when Don and I sailed across from Coll. That was a cool trip! Its funny coming back as a cycle tourist rather than as a yachtsman as you see everything from a different perspective. Rather than being confined to the water you're confined to the land.
After the climb up the hill I still had a bit of time before lunch so took the longer route to the birth end of the island, going back through Castlebay and round the west coast. The beaches up the west side are breath taking and I had to keep stopping go get my camera out. I've now got about 50million pictures of beaches and I've only got as far as south uist yet!

Lunch was at the Barra airport (another beach). After that I had a pottle round the bay before heading over for the 3.30 ferry. Surprise surprise half the cycle tourists from the previous days ferry were already there. Infact I'd seen several of them earlier in the day and got a bit of chat going with one guy which was good. Touring on your own is good, but its nice to have a chat with other people as well sometimes. He was saying hed been staying in the hostel in Castlebay and got pretty hammered the previous night.

After the ferry docked I headed north again across the causeway onto South Uist with a tailwind driving me on. I've got myself camped at the top of a huge fine tonight on the west side of South Uist just north near somewhere called Garryhaille I think! Although tbh I'm about a mile from the nearest road as I had to bump across the machair to get here. Fortunately the Vodafone reception seems to be good here. Its bloody awful on Barra!

Sun is just setting over the Atlantic in front of me, time for a hot chocolate, some cake then bed! :-)

Garmin stats:

West coast tour: Day 1

Home to Vattersay. Set off yesterday with the drive up to Oban through the terrible public holiday traffic. Luckily I'd left a little spare time as it was 40mph the whole way up virtually. It was great to ditch the car again and head for the ferry to get away from it!

At the ferry it looked like half the world had turned up to go for a touring trip. The bikes out numbered the cars which was pretty cool. I was also surprised at the range of people going touring. There were several old over weight couples lots of older women as well as the skinny middle aged men that you expect.

The passage out to Barra was very smooth with just a bit of swell crossing the minch. Unfortunately I forgot you're not allowed back on the car deck once you're sailing so left my book water etc behind then had nothing to do for the 5hour crossing.

Once we got off at Castle Bay I had a plan to head round to Vattersay to camp for the night. I got round there no problem but had been expecting it to be easy to find a water supply which unfortunately it wasn't. Fortunately some guys in a camper can were kind enough to supply a bottle full and from now on I'm filling up whenever I get a chance!

So the first day was pretty good. The weather was excellent, I managed to do what I'd planned and haven't forgotten anything important! Only 6miles cycled so far!

Garmin stats:

Tour Doon Hame: Stage 3

Another cracking day today with brilliant weather and some fun racing. Todays stage started in Dumfries again and finished in Castle Douglas. Going round to the north over the moors past Moniave the terrain was quite hilly again today and probably slightly tougher than Sunday.

We were all expecting a brutal stage as Rapha and Endura tried to over turn the slim lead held by Raleighs Matt Cronshaw and it did start very fast however the Rapha rider Zak something or other took an intermediate sprint and a time bonus early in the stage which put them in the lead and they controled the pace from then on. It ramprd up again with about 30miles to go which resulted in a split but luckily I was near the front at the time and stayed the right side of it.

Coming into the finish there was a nasty sting with about 5miles to go in the form of a steep climb which finished off a number of other riders. So coming into the finish I was in a group of about 50 riders. Despite having good intentions of contesting the sprint, when it came to it my legs were cooked and I rolled in near the back of the group in 45place. I didn't loose any time however while a lot of others did so moved up the GC to 55th overall. Not an incredible result but I'm happy enough with it. Tomorrow will be a shock having to go back to work!
Robin Wilkins
my blog: http://thewheelabout.blogspot.com

Tour Doon Hame: Stage 2

Much better race today! The sun came out and it was a great stage starting and finishing in Dumfries. The stage ran back up through Wanlochhead again going over the Dalveen Pass then the Mennock Pass again. After those hills it was a run round by Monaive along some windy wee roads back to Dumfries for a super fast sprint finish by the river side.
After the first 10miles or so my legs loosened up a bit and felt ok. Unfortunately my team mate Fin was brought down in the Neutralised zone at the start and broke his arm/elbow. We saw him at the end with a stookie on so must have been nasty.

Dalveen Pass was actually pretty good. I felt really comfortable going up and was the right side of a split going over the top. Coming down the other side was actually harder though, as there was a cross wind and the speed picked right up so only just managed to hang on. The groups came together before the climb up to Leadhills anyway and that was ridden at a pretty comfortable pace too.

I seem to be finding I'm fine going up the hills and can easily move up the bunch then, but on the flat or downhill when the speed is really high I struggle to hold my position and drift back. So I spend the race trying to move up on the hills then drifting back on the decents. Pretty annoying and a lot of wasted effort, but unfortunately I'm not great riding in large fast peletons.

The finish in Dumfries was pretty exciting too. It was absolutely flat out into town through a few suburbs dodging parked cars and traffic islands round a few sweeping turns and down by the river across the line. The bunch was still pretty big at around 100riders but I did my best to get as far forward as I could, although even then only managed 57 place! Pretty happy with the day though, much more my kind of weather. Tomorrow looks like it might be a tough one again but I'll be happy to keep out of trouble again and get to the finish as best I can
Robin Wilkins
my blog: http://thewheelabout.blogspot.com

Tour Doon Hame: Stage 1

Brutal, savage, hardest race I've ever ridden. Stage 1 on paper looked like the hardest stage and the weather today only made it tougher. 3 cat 1 climbs and 92 miles in the pissing rain. At the finish there were riders climbing into the showers fully clothed almost hypothermic, myself included! It took me about half an hour to stop shivering.
It had started off pretty warm and only a bit damp but as the race progressed in started chucking it down and the temperature seemed to drop too. Once you're soaked through its almost impossible to stay warm anyway.

The pace was brutal. Compared to an average Scottish race it was a completely different game. Up the first few climbs I found it manageable but it was on the flat and the downhills I really found myself struggling to hang onto a wheel. Moving up the bunch was such an effort and once you've moved up you're almost immediately going back again. I kept finding myself in the last 20 riders sprinting to close gaps.

The race really seemed to blow appart on the desent prior to the climb up to the mennock pass. The pace had been flat out for the previous 20miles and folk were getting tired and cold. Going up the Mennock it broke up further. I cracked on the desent losing contact with the group I was in. I think the cold affected me pretty badly and also the relentless pace.

The race was puncture tastic and there were several crashes due to the wet roads. Luckily I managed to avoid both today although I only just missed one crash early in the race and had to chase back on, luckily getting back into the bunch on one of the climbs. Hopefully I'll stay lucky tomorrow. I finished the stage on my own in the end 8minutes behind the winner. Not too bad considering but only go enough for 85 place!
Robin Wilkins
my blog: http://thewheelabout.blogspot.com

The Shake Down - Loch Tay trip

Loch Tay from Kenmore

Aside from the interesting route, the shake down trip was worthwhile in testing my touring gear, kit list and identifying gaps in my preparation.  The route I took was certainly rough enough in places to be called a shake down!

There were a few obvious problems - one of my front panniers bounced away from the rack at one of the attachment points a couple of times.  After I'd done about 20miles I stopped to adjust it a bit and found I had to go round and tighten the attachments on every pannier.  Probably should have known to do this anyway, but it hadn't occured to me before.  On getting home I adjusted the front panniers so they attach slightly differently onto the front rack, and hopefully more securely.  While doing this is checked the bolts holding the racks onto the bike and discovered that one of the front bolts wasn't really long enough and had pretty much come loose from the fork! So that was replaced with a much longer bolt thats made it much more secure.  Fortunately the cable tie attachments for the upper arms of the front rack seem to be adequate as they were still super secure.  I packed a few more cable ties into my tool kit though just incase!

Packing of the panniers and my kit list is another thing I've spent a lot of time trying to work out.  Looking at the kit lists on other touring sites online I just cant see how the guys manage to get all the stuff they've listed into the available space!  The two things that are on my mind now is whether I will be ok with just one mid layer long sleeve jacket (what if it gets wet?) and where I'll put my food after i've been to the shop?!  Do I camp first then go back to the shop!?  Should I sacrifice some other item to fit in another jacket?!

On the road the bike handles pretty well.  Its obviously heavy and cumbersome to manvouver, similar I'd expect to a motorcycle.  Uphill it is slow and hard work, even on fairly minor gradients.  For example riding up GlenOgle on a 2-3% gradient I could manage a steady 11mph, where as unladen I'd manage closer to 20!  On the flat and down hill the bike goes well though.  Provided theres not a headwind I could build it up to about 18mph on the flat.  Average speed for Saturdays run was 14mph, which I think is not bad.  I didn't find it took too long to adjust to it either, you quickly get used to a more steady pace.  It's not ideal if you need to be somewhere in a hurry, and if i'm going for a ferry then i'll probably plan on a 13mph average speed.

Riding heavily laden on the gravel roads I was worried I'd maybe get a few pinch puntures.  Fortunately I didn't get any.  Not sure if that was due to luck or good tyres.  I put 90psi in them and the comfort was very good indeed.  I don't think that was just because I'm used to riding 25s at 120psi either, I genuinely think the ride quality of them is great.  I've got a bit of debate going on about whether to get a couple of spare spokes to take incase one snaps or if that unecessary.

I got my new pump in the post and have tried it out to make sure it works.  Its an Axiom Enforce Pro with Gauge and its basically a mini pump with a short hose so you can stand it on its end and use it like a track pump - its has a small fold out foot brace too.  The end fits both Presta and Schrader valves, but you need to take the end apart and swap a couple of bits round.  Took a while to work it out and there where no instructions, but once I'd got it sorted it attaches to the valve securely and I easily got the tyre up to a good pressure - 120psi without any problems.  The pump is relatively heavy (250g) and bulky for a mini pump, but I'd rather have something like that which does the job properly than a small light pump which doesn't work!  It comes with a fitting to attach to the bike frame so it wont take up room in my panniers anyway.

Other thing that arrived is the Therma-rest chair.  I'm really pleased I got this.  Camping last weekend I just chucked a couple of fold out chairs in car and was glad I didnt need to sit on the ground, but I'll not be taking them on tour.  The Therma-rest chair fits round any standard therma-rest mattress and provides a comfortable seat, with a strong back rest.  Yeah, you're still sitting on the ground, but you can sit back comfortably and take the weight off very comfortably.  It weighs new to nothing (170g according to the packaging) and it rolls up so, I put it inside the tent alongside the tent poles.

Tour Doon Hame

Scotlands biggest road race event is this weekend and after a bit of uncertainty it looks like we're actually going!  3 days, 270miles and feck knows how much climbing!  I'm looking forward to it and excited but nervous.  Last years experience of the event was one to forget, failing to finish stage 1 after a double puncture and having to spectate for the following 2 days.  Hopefully this year, as part of a proper team and a lot more support it'll be a different story.

The event is based around Dumfries.  Stage 1 starts and finishes at Moffat and takes in some decent climbs around Wanlochhead.  Stage 2 is run around the hills again this time north of Dumfries itself and Stage 3 is further west again, this time finishing in Castle Douglas.  Theres 140 riders entered, ranging from hobby riders like myself to full time contiinental Pros and even ex Paris-Roubaix winner Magnus Backsted.  From my point of view its one of the simplest events of the year - theres 2 objectives: 1. Avoid crashing 2. Avoid getting dropped.  Theres no expectation that I try and get in a break, win a prime etc, just finishing will be an achievement and from that point of view its quite nice.

Looking back to last year what I'm not looking forward to is the stress of riding in the bunch.  Although theres a full police escort and rolling road closure, riding in a bunch of 140 at 30+mph is stressful.  Last years experience although brief was useful.  One of the things I learns was that the amount of time you can loose on the hills is enormous compared to how little you loose in a small split on a flatter stage.  Loosing 5minutes is nothing and not worth stressing about - at the end of the hilly stages riders will be 30-40+ minutes down!

Looking at the start list I think Endura look like the strongest team.  I'd pick their rider Jack Bauer (2nd last year) for the GC.  Lots more information at http://www.tourdoonhame.info

Dunblane to Loch Tay (Sustrans route7)

On Saturday, as planned I rode up to Loch Tay with my touring gear, where I met up with Laura and Oli who'd driven up in the car.  Its not a particularly long way - 38miles in total to where we camped at a site at Loch Tay.  It was good fun going camping, and worthwhile testing out the touring kit prior to the week away.  Previously when I've ridden to Killin either on my own or with the club I've always used the main A84 to the majority of the trip.  Having seen how good some of the cycle paths are and how much more interesting it is using them it makes me wonder if they could be incorporated into club rides more often.  Watching races like Paris-Roubaix, where riders tackle the notorious pave, or Italys Montepaschi Strada-Bianche shows that road bikes are capable of the odd section of poor road surface.  We often go out of our way to include hills in our cycle rides, why not throw in the odd gravel road too?  The Dukes pass for example can easily be climbed on forestry fire track!


So rather then just riding directly up the A84, I stuck mainly to back roads and cycle paths which provide an excellent alternative for riders who are not keen on heavy traffic and aren't in a rush.  From Dunblane I rode over and joined the Doune cycle path which is tarred and flat and much nicer than the A820.  At Doune I joined the Deanston Road (B8032), which runs along the south side of the Teith up to Callander.  This road is virtually traffic free and is a great scenic ride up alongside the fields and river.  The surface isn't brilliant, but its quite acceptable.

At Callander I joined Sustrans Cycle Route 7 for the climb up to Loch Lubnaig.  We used to use this path a lot when we lived in Callander and I found it much preferable to dragging my heavy bike up the hill from Kilmahog on the main A84.  The surface is smooth gravel, and despite being on slick Continental Gatorskin 28 tyres I found it pretty good going.  Smooth enough to ride comfortably along on a touring bike, but not as fast as tarmac.  At the Ben Ledi car park I did rejoin the A84 for the section up to Strathyre as I fancied making some quicker progress along the flat tarmac.  I've ridden cycle path to Strathyre a few times before and its much the same - smooth gravel.  I thought I'd leave that bit and check out the next section which I've not ridden.

So I rejoined Sustrans7 at Strathyre for the section up to Balquhidder and LochEarnhead.  This section of the route is on a minor unclassified tarred road which initially runs through pine woods, and again not a single car: great riding in the morning sunshine!  I had assumed the cycle path would follow the main A84, and that Balquhidder and Balquhidder Station (on the main A84) were pretty much the same place.  They're not however!, and the cycle path takes you a few miles off the direct route, via the small hamlet of Balquidder, before you cross the valley and join another road back toward Balquhidder Station.  I found the maps on my Garmin handy at this point as I was able to easily workout where I was going.  At Balquhidder Station the cycle route again becomes a prupose built gravel path, initially dropping down a bit toward the back of Loch Earnhead before a rather steep climb up some zigzigs up the hillside at the start of GlenOgle.  Gradient on this was maybe 10-12% and on the touring bike it was a bit of a grind, but it doesn't go on for too long before flattening off onto the old railway line.  The run up the glen has had some recent improvement work and its excellent. 2-3% gradient, smooth gravel surface with Glen Ogle and the main road below.  I was very glad I wasn't on the main road as I rode up the glen, watching trucks and traffic make their way up the climb.  From the top of Glen Ogle its a fast descent to Killin.  I just rode down the main road for this section, as I could easily manage 25+mph all the way, and find traffic less of an issue when I'm going faster.  I think the Sustrans route takes a different way but I didn't bother checking.

What would people say to including more untarred sections in club runs?  I know the Davie Bell Memorial Road Race in June will include sections on gravel roads, and the Ayrshire clubs use untarred stuff fairly frequently.  I think it would be quite good fun to have the odd section thrown into some club road runs.  Might help folks bike handling.